Posted on 07/02/2011

Augmentra, the maker of the award winning outdoor navigation app
ViewRanger GPS has partnered with Cumbria Tourism to publish walking &
biking routes in the Lake District on their mobile platform. The deal
means that residents & visitors to the Lake District with a smartphone will
be able to use the ViewRanger mobile app to access these tourist board endorsed
routes as downloadable, interactive guides - with maps, GPS navigation &
detailed, reliable local information. The aim is that it will drive an increase
in accessibility to the countryside and landmarks, while encouraging more
people overall to visit Cumbria in 2011 and beyond.

Available
from 7th February 2011, the initial 30-plus walking & biking routes to be
released by Cumbria Tourism & ViewRanger includes favourite routes in the
region. The partnership re-interprets existing materials published on the
Cumbria Tourism website. Publishing on mobile with ViewRanger, goes one step
further than the existing web based access to visitor information about the
Lake District and enhances the visitors’ experience by providing the peace of
mind of GPS mapped location and location specific information.

The popular
ViewRanger GPS app is available for Apple, Android and Symbian smartphones and
can run 1:50K or 1:25K OS mapping. ViewRanger is already popular with Outdoor
enthusiasts around the world. The fact that it is used by a growing number of
UK Search & Rescue teams is a testament to its accuracy & reliability. Each route
with full navigation and local information can be purchased (£1.50/route) and
downloaded to the visitor’s smartphone using the ViewRanger app. Visitors can
purchase ViewRanger from their app store or even via Cumbria Tourism own web
e-shop together with OS mapping for the whole of the Lake District.
Importantly, it is the first time that a regional tourist board has implemented
this approach.

Ellis
Butcher, a spokesman for Cumbria Tourism, said: "The Lake District and
Cumbria is the best walking and cycling destination in Britain. With increasing
numbers of our visitors packing smartphones it makes perfect consumer sense to
give them the chance to download some of this area's best routes direct to
their handsets. When visitors are in the area they often need additional
information which is not necessarily always found on traditional maps. This is
where the new project comes into its own by utilising the information we have
on our tourism website and putting it into the hands of visitors when they need
it. Anyone wanting access to the routes can get them through both the
ViewRanger App and our own online e-shop.

Craig
Wareham, CEO of Augmentra - the company that develops ViewRanger commented –
“This is a great partnership. The Cumbria Tourism has been really forward
thinking about this project. Obviously, they have unparalleled regional
knowledge and we have offered them a way to ensure that it is made available to
a wider audience. Hopefully this will encourage more people to visit Cumbria in
the next twelve months. I believe we will see many more Tourist boards across
the UK adopting similar approaches very soon, as it offers an innovative way to
generate additional income from existing content”.